Help Support Young Readers At This Progressive Dinner

SARTELL/ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- An annual dinner that helps get books in the hands of kids is back this year. The United Way of Central Minnesota's Imagination Library Progressive Dinner is on Saturday, April 25th, in Sartell and on Saturday, May 2nd, in St. Cloud.

Get our free mobile app

Spokeswoman Sam Switzer says attendees start by buying a ticket and choosing their theme.

That theme will carry on throughout the whole evening, so your group will dress to the theme, and all of your food will be based around that theme.  You'll arrive at one home to start your night, where you'll hear about Imagination Library and the impact we're having in the community before you head out.  Then, you'll head out to your first course, where they'll serve a themed meal based on whichever one you selected.  From there, you travel to a second home for your main course.  And then you'll join us back at the large reception home for the end of the night.

The $175 covers all five years of the program for one child. Tickets are limited to 100 guests per weekend. Both professional and home cooks volunteer their time to make the food, with most hosts and chefs returning each year.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library provides one book a month to children from birth to age five at no cost to the family. The United Way of Central Minnesota has been a part of the program for 21 years. They've given out 1.8 million books to Central Minnesota children, including 76,000 books to over 6,000 children last year.